New Cavaliers F Jae Crowder’s mother died as he was being traded

Sometimes, we seem to forget that professional athletes are more than just jersey numbers and statistics. They are real-live human beings with families.

For new Cleveland Cavaliers forward Jae Crowder, life itself took two unexpected turns this week.

Just as Crowder was being shipped to Cleveland in the deal that brought the Boston Celtics Kyrie Irving, his mother passed away after a battle with cancer.

Talk about the sobering reality of life.

Crowder’s most-recent post on social media seemed to be a precursor to the news that would later come.

There are numerous photos of Crowder with his mother, Helen Thompson, floating around the Internet. One such visual comes to mind with the two attending a fundraiser in his home state of Georgia.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Crowder, the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers organizations and his family during these most difficult of times.